


Just You Wait

by Dipole_Moment



Series: Ilvermorny Academy [2]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - Ilvermorny, Alternate Universe - Magic, Doctor Phasma will treat you whether you like it or not, Don't come to her with a papercut, F/M, Food Porn, POV Rey (Star Wars), Prank Wars, Quidditch, Slow Burn, Young Ben Solo, Young Rey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:00:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26310766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dipole_Moment/pseuds/Dipole_Moment
Summary: A haze of panic gripped Rey as she tried to figure out what was happening.  Something was wrong.  Where was the lake?  Why couldn’t she breathe?Oh, she was in the lake.  That was lake water burning her sinuses, leeching her warmth, and keeping her from precious, precious air.The charm wasn’t working.Rey was drowning.ORRey Niima and Ben Solo have had a contentious relationship ever since she came to Ilvermorny Academy of Magical Studies—elbow jabs in crowded hallways (mostly Rey), porgs released in dorm rooms (Rey again, with assistance from Rose), and candy bars laced with Nosebleed Nougat (Ben).Sometimes, one of them goes a bit too far...
Relationships: Bazine Netal/Ben Solo (minor), Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: Ilvermorny Academy [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1911727
Comments: 5
Kudos: 83





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This isn’t a “Harry Potter AU” as much as it is “Harry Potter-esque.” I borrow some of the structure and lore from the HP series and mix it with other inspirations and flights of fancy. 
> 
> Hopefully everything will be clear from my writing, but if not feel free to ask questions in the comments!

Rey flew in lazy circles above the quidditch pitch, bored. Ilvermorny Academy of Magical Studies was surrounded by dense, protective forest, except where the school grounds met Serpent Lake. To prevent further culling of the forest as Ilvermorny’s student body grew, the quidditch pitch was relocated from a grassy field to above the placid waters of the lake.

A rising cheer from the opposition team briefly distracted Rey, and she watches enviously as the Quaffle soars neatly through a Thunderbird goal ring. Ben Solo- Chaser for the Horned Serpents and Rey’s personal arch-nemesis- makes a show of throwing his arms up in victory and catches her eye with a smirk. _Bastard_ , she thinks viciously. As if he’d heard her, Ben’s smirk spreads into a full grin.

As Seeker, Rey’s only job in the game is to find and catch the Golden Snitch before her counterpart on the other team. It’s a role she finds tremendously boring for at least 50% of the game. She’d much rather be right in the middle of the action, working seamlessly with her team and launching the Quaffle through the opposing team’s goalposts.

But her teammates were convinced Rey was the best among them at spotting and catching the elusive Snitch. She supposed she _was_ pretty good at it, and she loved the rush of dodging Beaters and players on their brooms while single-mindedly pursuing her target. But she had discovered the Snitch was easiest to spot when she wasn’t actively looking for it, and the inactivity was mind-numbing. So, she circled the game from above, letting her thoughts float away like clouds and her eyes wander where they would.

Zorii, Seeker for the Horned Serpents, circled the game from below, trying to copy Rey’s strategy and unknowingly working way too hard at it. No one had believed Rey when she told them how she set the record last year for most Golden Snitch catches by a single player. They all thought she must’ve been cheating with an illegal potion or spellcasting or something. Ben had thrown such a fit over it that the school administration started confiscating wands and scanning players for potions or charms before each game. The only charms allowed during the game were the Repel Water charms all players wore in case they fell into the lake.

Rey’s teammates still jokingly gave her exaggerated winks before games. She usually just smiled and rolled her eyes, unless Ben Solo was around. Then she would give an overly conspicuous wink in return, and smugly watch him scowl and stomp around.

A faint buzz tickled Rey’s awareness- _finally_!- and her gaze sharpened on a golden glint hovering right below her team’s centermost goal post. The tiny orb shimmered and sped away, but she had it in her sights now and dove after it.

Below, Zorii noticed her pursuit and moved to intercept. The tricky thing about the Snitch though, was that it didn’t move like a creature trying to escape. It jerked and darted around randomly, making predictions impossible. Once when Rey reached out to grab it, the Snitch dodged out of her grasp and then slammed straight into her face. She had to sit out the rest of the game while Phasma, the school physician, mended the cartilage in her nose. Phasma refused to help her spell the blood out of her clothes though, so Rey had to sit with it drying on her shirt and sleeves until the game was over and Paige could work her motherly magic.

Wampus won that game and Rey’s classmates ribbed her for weeks-- “ _Hey Niima, you’re not supposed to catch the Snitch with your face!_ ” Finn was more outraged by the mocking than Rey, which gave her a warm feeling in her chest.

Now, Rey weaved in and out of the activity of the game- dodging classmates, Bludgers, and Quaffle passes as she chased after the Snitch.

“Dammit!” Poe yelled when Rey misjudged her speed and the Quaffle smacked into the tail of her broom, ruining a pass.

“Sorry!” she called back sheepishly.

_Was it just her, or were the Beaters exceptionally aggressive today?_

A grunt from her right gave Rey enough warning to squeeze her thighs around the seat of her broom and roll to avoid a well-aimed Bludger. When she rightened, Rey realized with disappointment she had lost track of the Snitch. Seeing Zorii flying slightly below and behind her told Rey the Horned Serpent Seeker didn’t have it in her sights either.

Rey pulled up again to resume her circling, and was confused she noticed both Beaters follow. Ap’lek and Cardo smacked a Bludger back and forth between them as they moved to flank her.

A cheer from the Thunderbirds told Rey her team was taking advantage of the Beaters’ distraction. “What the hell, you guys?” Rey screeched as she narrowly ducked under a Bludger that would have had her seeing stars. What they were doing wasn’t technically illegal, it just wasn’t a good strategy. Ap’lek and Cardo had left their team defenseless just to go after Rey. Couldn’t they tell she’d lost track of the Snitch?

Rey gripped her broom tightly and pulled up in an arc to reverse direction.

“Bye, assholes!” she shouted cheekily as she sped away. The Beaters would lose time corralling the Bludger into switching direction, and now Rey could outfly them easily. She rightened on her broom and glanced over her shoulder to check. Ap’lek had lost control of the Bludger and was trying to prevent it from flying back into the main activity of the game.

Rey was just starting to relax again into her non-thinking state when she heard a familiar whistling. It was the sound of gut-clenching freedom- the high-pitch of wind tugging fiercely at your hair and clothes as you leaned everything you had into driving your broom _faster and faster and faster_. Rey had just a second to wonder where it was coming from before she was tipping forward and falling.

She stared up at Cardo, who was rapidly becoming further and further away. He smiled cruelly before opening a hand and releasing her broom.

“Hey!” Rey screamed when she realized what had happened. _That asshole pulled the broom right out from under her!_ He’d committed an obvious foul and given her team an advantage just to be a dick. She just knew it was Ben Solo’s fault. Ap’lek and Cardo were in his stupid posse of Slytherin wanna-be’s.

Fuming, Rey felt for the Repel Water charm tucked underneath her shirt and prepared for the disconcerting sensation of dropping into an air bubble in the middle of a lake. It was fun the first few times when you were learning to fly and everyone else was falling in too. If you fell from high enough it was rumored that you could reach the bottom of the lake and see the giant horned serpent that protected it. The novelty wore off rather quickly though since getting out of the lake was such a challenge. Rey just hoped her broom didn’t land too far away. It was so embarrassing, trying to walk across the lake like a hamster in an invisible ball with everyone watching.

Thinking about these things, Rey was not at all prepared for the sudden and painful chill, distorted susurrations, or the burning in her nose. A haze of panic gripped her as she tried to figure out what was happening. Something was wrong. Where was the lake? Why couldn’t she breathe?

Oh, she was in the lake. That was lake water burning her sinuses, leeching her warmth, and keeping her from precious, precious air.

The charm wasn’t working.

Rey was drowning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I am a new writer so comments/questions are greatly appreciated!
> 
> Follow me on Twitter for updates and sneak peaks! [@dipole_m0ment](https://twitter.com/dipole_m0ment)
> 
> **Fun Facts:**  
>  \- Rey is super good at finding the Snitch because she is essentially meditating and letting her innate abilities guide her. She has trouble explaining it because she doesn’t realize what she’s doing, so most people think she’s bullshitting.  
> \- Ap’lek is female in this story. Don’t call her “Apple” unless you are prepared for severe bodily harm.  
> \- Finn was sorted into Pukwudgie but he and Rey coerced the school administrator (Mitaka) into putting him into Thunderbird so they could stick together.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The crowd groaned, and Rey heard several people mumble theories about why her charm didn’t work. Did she break it? Dispel it on purpose? Drop it in saltwater?_
> 
> _Rey didn’t have to wonder though- she knew._
> 
> _She met Ben’s guilty gaze, standing next to Headmaster Skywalker beside her stretcher._

Sharp, stabbing pain in her chest brought Rey back to reality. Independent of any effort on her part, Rey’s body rolled over onto her side and she vomited lake water. Not enough though-- _it wasn’t enough_! She managed a small gasp of air before her chest seized and pushed more liquid out.

“That’s it, keep going,” a low, feminine voice instructed. It was Phasma, the icy school physician. Sometimes it was better to bare discomfort than go to her infirmary. Rose and Rey liked to tinker with potion recipes, which occasionally resulted in inconvenient afflictions, so Phasma was not fond of the girls or their frequent test subject (Finn).

Rey spent what felt like an eternity gasping and hacking up lake water. Every breath brought a sharp pain to her chest, and every thump of Phasma’s hand on her back felt like a punch to bruised skin.

There was cheering coming from the stands, and Rey had a brief flash of panic that she was missing the game. Did Zorii catch the Snitch? It was only the first game of the season but Ben and his cronies were going to be insufferable if the Horned Serpents won the game while Rey was grounded and soaking wet.

From her position on the ground, Rey suddenly became aware of dozens of shoes encircling her. The game couldn’t have ended without her, because the entirety of the Thunderbird and Horned Serpent quidditch teams stood clustered in a circle around Rey. They were at the edge of the lake on school grounds, underneath the arcing structure that supported stadium seating above the lake. 

_Oh_ , Rey realized sluggishly, _they’re cheering because I’m okay_. She must have really looked bad for that level of applause.

Her teammates and most of the Horned Serpent players were watching her with mixed expressions of anxiety and relief. Ap’lek and Cardo stood off to the side, not looking all that concerned. Hux just looked annoyed.

Rey’s eyes connected with Ben’s first, as they always seemed to do when he was near. Ben’s complexion was stark, and the whites of his eyes shone brightly. Water dripped from his hair and his uniform clung wetly to his body. Poe and Phasma were also wet, so they must have pulled her out of the lake along with Ben. He looked scared. 

“Rey—” Ben started but was cut off by the Thunderbird team captain.

“Stars and Stones, Rey! We thought you were dead!” Poe exclaimed. Ben’s eyes flickered with annoyance.

“I think she was!” Zorii piped in. People shuffled closer, deciding the gravity of the situation had passed. Phasma was having none of it though.

“Merlin’s ass, I said stand back!” Phasma barked. “Give us space!”

“I’m-“ Rey sputtered, “o-kay.” Her coughing was easing up, but she still felt like she’d never clear all the liquid in her lungs.

“No talking,” Phasma instructed as she pulled a floating stretcher out of her extradimensional physician’s bag, like a surly Mary Poppins. “You’re going to the infirmary for a full exam.”

Rey wanted to protest that she was fine, but her whole upper body ached and stung in different flavors of pain. Hitting the water must have bruised her back, her lungs felt exhausted, and Rey suspected whatever Phasma had done to wake her up was the cause of the sharp pain in her chest. So, she let Phasma help her onto the floating stretcher and accepted that she would most likely miss dessert tonight. It was quite a disappointment because the kitchen elves were making apple pie and Rey looked forward to it every week.

A sudden chorus of “hey!” “ow!” and “watch it!” was released in the wake of Finn bursting through the ring of people around Rey. Rose followed quickly on his heels, a bit more dexterously. Rey saw Ben scowl and cross his arms before her friends’ faces filled her vision.

“Rey,” Finn gasped, out of breath, “are you okay?” Rey imagined he and Rose must have pushed and elbowed their way through the crowded stands and run down the stairs. The rest of the spectators watched from their seats.

Rose fired off questions between gulps of air. “Why didn’t the bubble work? Where’s your charm? You fell from so high; did you see the serpent?”

Rey pulled her charm out of her shirt and held it up. “It didn’t work,” she tried to say. She was interrupted by Phasma tipping her head back and pouring a syrupy potion down her throat. Rey sputtered and shot Phasma an affronted look, but the pain in her chest immediately started to dull.

By the time Headmaster Skywalker arrived and pushed through the crowd, Finn and Rose almost had their breath back and Rey was secured onto Phasma’s stretcher. Not having the youthful athleticism of Finn and Rose, Skywalker held up a finger to ask for time and panted with his hands on his knees.

“ _Who’s surprised the scavenger rat can’t swim_?” Rey heard muttered from the crowd. She wasn’t planning on looking to see who it was, not wanting to give them the satisfaction of seeing her hurt. But Ben, his natural scowl hardened into a thunderous glare and he stormed over to the offender. Rey turned her head just in time to see Ben’s fist connect viciously with Cardo’s jaw.

The burly young man spat blood and rubbed his jaw. “What the fuck, Solo! You said—”

“BEN!” Headmaster Skywalker boomed, finally regaining his breath. “You stand right here until I figure out what to do with you,” he pointed at a spot directly next to him.

Headmaster Skywalker turned to Rey. “I’m so glad you weren’t more seriously injured. Let’s warm you up and get you to the infirmary.” He lifted his gaze to announce to the crowd “quidditch is suspended until further notice! Everyone give your charms to your team captain for inspection!”

The crowd groaned, and Rey heard several people mumble theories about why her charm didn’t work. Did she break it? Dispel it on purpose? Drop it in saltwater?

Rey didn’t have to wonder though- she knew.

She met Ben’s guilty gaze, standing next to Headmaster Skywalker beside her stretcher. His hair still hadn’t fully grown back since the Monday three weeks ago when he’d woken up inexplicably bald. In an unfortunate coincidence, all the rosemary needed to brew a rapid hair growth potion was mysteriously missing from the greenhouse and kitchens. Ben had worn a hat all week until he could go into town and buy a potion. His on-again-off-again girlfriend Bazine had laughed in his face and wouldn’t even touch him until his hair grew back enough to cover his ears.

The hair loss prank had been a bit meaner than their usual warfare, so Rey had been expecting some kind of payback. This was too far though. She had almost died! Rey was going to have to come up with something even worse to do to him, but not so bad it might kill or permanently maim him.

Rey narrowed her eyes and glared at Ben from the stretcher. “Just you wait,” she whispered. Ben’s expression slid from guilty to annoyed. Headmaster Skywalker looked between them suspiciously as Phasma maneuvered the stretcher along at a quick pace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I am a new writer so comments/questions are greatly appreciated!
> 
> Follow me on Twitter for updates and sneak peaks! [@dipole_m0ment](https://twitter.com/dipole_m0ment)
> 
> **Fun Facts:**  
>  \- Rey targets Ben’s luscious locks because she secretly likes looking at his hair. So really, they both suffered.  
> \- Rose helped, because that’s what girlfriends are for.  
> \- Finn just wants the girls to stop making him drink their test potions.  
> \- “Stars and stones” is an expression used in The Dresden Files, by Jim Butcher.


	3. Chapter 3

Rey ended up staying in the infirmary overnight while her sternum healed at a speed only possible through magical means. She ate an underwhelming dinner of dry turkey and roasted squash. Finn and Rose tried to sneak in with a slice of pie, but Phasma caught them and threatened detention. The school physician considered the denial of dessert punishment for anyone reckless enough to land themselves in her infirmary.

Headmaster Skywalker came to check on her and examine her Repel Water charm. Upon closer inspection, it was obvious that Rey’s charm had been switched out with a fake. Rey’s charm was a sloppy sigil engraved into a wood medallion. This one was the same size and wood type, but the sigil was much too neat and didn’t have any trace of magic. When Headmaster Skywalker asked if she knew how her charm was replaced by the dud, Rey gave him her best innocent expression and claimed she had no idea. She didn’t expect it to fool him, but the Headmaster couldn’t give her detention without proof that the incident was part of her well-known feud with his nephew.

Rey returned to her dorm the next day and was grumpy to discover she’d missed Threepio’s Sunday morning pancakes. She knew he’d make more for her if she asked, but the house-elf always got so flustered when he deviated from his normal routine. Magic and friendship aside, food was Rey’s favorite part of her new life at Ilvermorny. With Uncle Plutt, she’d only eaten canned or boxed food and free school lunches. Once a year he’d let her buy funfetti cake mix and buttercream frosting with sprinkles. Rey would always divide her cake into exactly 8 pieces. Plutt would eat one, and Rey would have an entire week to wake up in the morning to know that the day held at least one good thing for her. It was best to save the corner pieces for last because the frosting kept the edges from getting too stale.

Rey knew she was spoiled at Ilvermorny and delighted in the fresh foods and home-cooked meals available to her. There was an unconscious fear that if she took this privilege for granted it would disappear before she was ready. Good things always ended, so you had to make sure to feel them before they were gone.

Rey entered the room she shared with a girl named Jess and was surprised by the sight of a package on her bed. Her real charm sat atop of a box wrapped in brown paper. Rey immediately knew who it was from, and opened the package with more than a small amount of caution.

Inside was a pie. An apple pie, with a beautiful golden crust and six neat vent marks that were _just_ asymmetrical enough to indicate they’d been made by hand.

Mouth watering, Rey pulled a pair of jinx-detecting glasses out of her nightstand. She’d bought these specifically after Ben tricked her into eating a candy bar made with Nosebleed Nougat. At first she didn’t make the connection between her magically-induced nosebleed and the candy bar. The first thing she did when she returned from the infirmary was finish her candy, which sent her right back to an irritated Phasma. It was still worth it for the candy though.

Rey examined Ben’s offering through yellow-tinted lenses. She walked around her bed to see it from all angles, then slid a notebook underneath to check the bottom. There were no traces of tampering, magical or otherwise. The pie was safe.

Rey raced out of her room and down three flights of stairs to the small kitchen in the Thunderbird dormitory. She pulled open a drawer to grab a fork and didn’t bother closing it before dashing back up to her room. She almost bowled over Threepio on the way back up --“ _Oh, Miss Rey, I am so glad you are_ —”

“Sorry, thank you!”

Back in her room, Rey plopped on her bed eagerly, fork in one hand and wand in the other. She cast a simple heating spell on the pie- just enough warmth to evoke the memory of a hot oven.

The crust broke neatly under the tines of her fork, releasing an aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg. There was just the right amount of resistance when she scooped and lifted her fork. Soft, pale apple flesh coated in caramelized sugar and dusted with spices.

The apple filling was warm and sweet on her tongue. The crust was perfectly formed and flaky. This was magic.

Rey supposed she shouldn’t be too mad at Ben for making her almost drown. He probably didn’t know she couldn’t swim, and he’d looked really scared. Not just scared of getting in trouble for killing her, but actually afraid she was really hurt. And he’d probably already earned at least two weeks of detention for punching Cardo. Most importantly though, he’d given her pie. Really, really good pie.

Maybe she’d give him a break, just this once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I am a new writer so comments/questions are greatly appreciated!
> 
> Follow me on Twitter for updates and sneak peaks! [@dipole_m0ment](https://twitter.com/dipole_m0ment)


End file.
